On a cold and crisp day at the heart of the University of Bristol, students gathered to support our Cut Cider Tax campaign. They collected signatures for our petition calling on a cut in the Cider Duty Escalator, which automatically adds duty of 2 per cent above inflation to a pint of cider each year.
‘Britain has a proud history in beer and cider production and for centuries has been an integral part of our heritage,’ says Bristol student Charlie Brandon. ‘While we should take pride in the fact that many of the major commercial brands are produced in this country we should also strive to protect our local producers who provide us with a greater variety of choice of high quality cider. A tax cut will allow these producers to provide this quality and variety at competitive prices, and therefore ensure their survival.’
After the signature collecting, students celebrated a successful action day with a few pints of cider at the White Bear, a favourite pub with students. Local cider enthusiasts should also visit the nearby Bristol Cider Shop on Christmas Steps, which sells a number of local and speciality ciders, including Burrow Hill Somerset Cider and Gwatkin Old Rats Tail, not for the faint-hearted apparently! I stuck to regional favourite: Thatchers…